Managing a Miraculous Map
by lookingforwaifu
Summary: Daphne 'finds' a magical map of Hogwarts and finds she has an unhealthy habit of following Harry around the castle. Determined to find out what the isolated sixth year is up too she attempts to get closer to him but will find out it's not quite what she expected. While this has elements of cannon, it doesn't really follow it.


**A/N:** Just a quick one, this is something that's sat in my Google Drive for awhile now. There's a few chapters already written, I kind of left it there when I didn't exactly thing people would enjoy it. Seeing as how a few of you enjoy my current work I thought I may as well put it up. I can stick the other chapter up next week or something if you would like to see more. I am in-fact actively writing for my other stories, however work is taking a large amount of my time at the moment. This is a short first chapter I know but it's just to set the scene really..

* * *

 **Managing a Miraculous Map**

 **Finders Keepers**

Chapter 1

* * *

It happened at the end of her fifth year, probably up there as her most exciting find. Or theft, but she didn't think of it that way. She wasn't the one to lose it, and frankly; finders keepers. A Slytherin wasn't known to hand back an object that houses so many possibilities.

Daphne Greengrass, fifth year Slytherin walked along the empty corridor towards the headmaster's office. She had an appointment, and one that she hoped would go well. She desperately wanted to change potions for ancient runes. She had the grades for it, however it required getting the headmaster's approval. Clutched to her chest were her owl results and a letter from her parents, with her own reasons to why she wanted to change.

She wasn't the first. Ever since Hermione Granger dropped Divination she had realised it could be done, not having thought about it very much. Potions wasn't useful to her, she wanted to do research as a career and while potions were useful and perhaps good to know the basics of, that's all she wanted; the basics. What she really excelled in were charms and transfiguration but having discussed her choices and results with her parents they decided perhaps ancient runes would help her more. There would be a lot of catching up to do but she could manage it.

A few low rumbles seemed to vibrate through the corridor she was walking through and she look over her shoulder at the noises. Noticing nothing she continued on, shrugging to herself and wondered if she had just imagined it. Odd things always happened in the castle, it wasn't unheard of for things to get a little crazy at the drop of a hat. Mostly because of the Weasley twins but she wasn't so stuck up to not think they were funny, most of the time at least.

Daphne turned the corner and positioned herself in front of the stone gargoyle outside the headmaster's office. She had only done this once before and the password she had been given was still just as weird.

"Sneezing Gobst-" She had began to say when Harry Potter came barreling out of the entrance and ran straight into her, knocking her to the ground heavily. A squeak of surprise which she wasn't proud of escaped her as her hands caught her fall behind her, although landing on the rough stone floor still hurt considerably. Her parchment and letters went flying and fluttered to meet her on the ground in different spots around her.

Harry was leaning over her, and she had never seen him look so angry. Come to think of it she hadn't really seen any of his expressions. Harry Potter was known as a recluse in the Castle. Friends with no one, apart from the odd and maybe forced interactions he sometimes has with Hermione who was in the same house as him. He was essentially a loner. He ate alone, sat at the back of classes alone and rarely gave any input into anything. He tended to disappear for large amounts of time, and often skipped classes but the professors never really had anything to say on the matter. It was clear a few of them didn't quite like it however.

They stared at each, tangled on the floor. Daphne out of interest at seeing something others usually didn't and Harry out of surprise. Her skirt had been pushed up and pinned down by his hand, the cool air running over the parts of her thighs that weren't covered by her plain black stockings. It interested her that he didn't sneak a peak like most probably would.

Harry was the one to break the eye contact and he quickly scrambled up, collecting the parchment and letters before placing them in a rough pile next to her. With a very quick apology he walked off, not once looking back.

Daphne pulled her skirt back down and into it's rightful place and brushed the back side of her uniform with her hands and giving it a quick visual check. She bent down and grabbed her things before looking at the stone gargoyle again.

"Sneezing Gobstoppers." She said calmly and couldn't help but look over her shoulder at the empty corridor, a little disgruntled about being knocked over.

The stone staircase sprang to life and she quickly hopped on. She didn't climb the stairs as it span slowly this time, instead letting the stairs carry her up and she smiled when it stopped on the exact stair she was standing on, presenting her with the large heavy door of Albus Dumbledore's office.

Lifting the large copper handle she pushed it down quickly against the copper plate two times and waited for an answer.

"Enter." Dumbledore said and Daphne noticed there was a touch of confusion in his voice and decided to reiterate why she was here.

She pushed the heavy door open and walked inside, closing it behind her. "You asked to see me Profes-" She said but stopped mid sentence when her eyes took in the state of his office. Compared to her first visit, the office was a wreck. Gone were the neatly laid out bowls of assorted sweets and mysterious contraptions that _sparkled_ and _popped_ at seemingly random intervals. In it's place were splinters of furniture, some small fires and general destruction.

Standing at door she wondered if she was imagining it. The last person up in the office was Harry and for a student to do this to a teacher's office, let alone the _headmaster's_ office was crazy. She thought perhaps he was expelled, and that's why he looked so angry.

"Yes, of course." He replied calmly from his seat behind his desk, which she noticed was split in two. "Excuse my aging memory as I had temporarily forgotten. Please, take a seat Miss. Greengrass." He gestured to the only intact piece of furniture left in the room besides his own chair.

Nervously, but without showing it, she approached and sat down. Daphne cast a few more subtle looks around the office, taking in the damage and wondered how Dumbledore was sitting there calmly, as if it was an everyday occurrence.

"Er, yes. So I wanted to discuss dropping potions for ancient runes, Sir." She reached over the splintered desk and handed the letter from her parents and her own reasons for wanting to drop it. He read them quickly, nodding a few times here and there with her parents letter before handing them back.

"Have you discussed this with your head of house?" He asked her and quickly scribbled something she couldn't quite see on a piece of parchment on the right half of his desk.

Daphne nodded, having already spoken to him. "He wasn't particularly happy with me dropping his subject but as I don't have an interest in it and would find ancient runes more valuable, he understands and supports it."

"In that case I can see no reason to say no. You will however be expected to catch up to where the current class is currently at next term, a book list will be provided. You may also be provided with some extra homework over the holiday to help you get up to speed." He said with a kind smile on his face. "I apologise for this being so short and to the point, but as you can probably tell I have some cleaning up to do."

He said this all with a calm voice and expression. Daphne couldn't understand how anyone could be so calm after their office was half destroyed. There were obviously things she didn't understand, but she had gotten what she wanted and that was all that mattered to her. Nodding and accepting the polite excuse to cut it short she stood up and walked back towards the door after giving her thanks. As she gripped the handle however she found her curiously got the better of her and she turned around slightly, looking at the old wizard who simply smiled back.

"Was it Potter?" She asked, expecting to be rebuffed.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and sighed, she was pretty sure that was the first time she had seen him sigh like that. "I'm afraid I might have pushed my luck too far unfortunately, and Mr. Potter has taught me a valuable lesson, as it were. Have a good evening Miss Greengrass."

Turning back around Daphne opened and closed the door behind her before making her way back down the moving staircase before exiting when it ground to a halt. As she was leaving however she noticed a piece of parchment on the ground near the window. She hadn't noticed it before and a quick check of the items in her hands she realised it wasn't something of hers.

She reached down and picked it up, wondering what it was. It was a fairly large piece of parchment with small crest and inscription on the front.

"The Marauder's Map?" She said quietly to herself as she flipped it open. There were windows into other pages and flaps and panels you could move to reveal more of the map and it's different areas. Her eyes went wind in surprise as she stared at the map. She couldn't believe it, that something like that existed. Instantly looking around to see if anyone was in the corridor after her brief talk with Dumbledore and noticing she was still alone, she quickly closed and stuffed the parchment into her robe and started walking back to her corridor with a large smile on her face.

"What are you so happy about?" Tracy Davies said from her bed once Daphne had closed the room to her shared room. Slytherin's had room for four and luckily one of those four was her best, and only real friend, Tracy. They had grown up together, having lived quite close; an unlikely friendship between a pureblood of high social status and a half blood. Their mothers were friends and therefor they had spent a lot of time together when they were younger.

Daphne jumped at the sound of her, thinking the room would be empty. It wasn't late and most Slytherin's hun around in the common room, trying to pick up gossip from other students in the house. Little things like that was what made Slytherin what it was, a house full of everyone trying to get dirt on someone else to further propel them through society. "Oh. Tracy, it's just you." She said and let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

"What d'you mean, 'just me'?" She replied with a frown. "Are you hiding something?" She asked and stop up from her bed and slowly approached Daphne.

With nowhere to go, having closed the door behind her Daphne pressed her back against the door and tried to not look guilty. While she generally had a fantastic mask when around other people, Tracy could always see through it. The one negative side effect of having a best friend. She could never keep anything from her. "T-Tracy it's nothing, I just went to speak to Dumbledore. You know, about dropp-"

Tracy pounded, making her jump again and there a quick silent fight as Daphne tried to keep her robes orderly as Tracy tried to pull them off. "-Wait, stop!" Daphne whispered, hearing people on the other side of the door. "Tracy! Ah-!"

"Woah! Check it out!" Tracy said with glee. Daphne was a crumbled mess of robes and her hair had come out of it's ponytail slightly as she glared at her friend. "Is this real? I mean does it work? Hey James Heften is in a closet with Amy Repsly on the fourth floor!" She yelled.

"Shhh! Don't just yell about everything you think of you idiot!" Daphne pulled her robes back down and patted her backside where she had landed on the floor, for the second time that day. She reached for the map in her friend's hands but Tracy was too quick and moved back to her bed. "This is wicked, it's not a prank right? Maybe it's something from the Weasleys?" She asked, flipping open some flaps on the parchment.

Daphne followed her friend and sat on the edge of her bed, looking at the map as they explored it. "I think it's real, I just found it. I think it might be Potters." She explained, the thought just coming to her. It would make sense, she hadn't noticed it before and she had a good eye for things like that. When Potter had walked into her he must have dropped it and not realised because of the mood he was seemingly in. "He trashed Dumbledore's office too." She added.

Tracy looked up. "Trashed? What do you mean?" She asked.

"Exactly that, some parts were on fire. His desk was split in _two_... We ran into each other as I was giving that weird stone gargoyle the password. I think he was pretty pissed at something and when we collided I'm pretty sure he dropped that."

Tracy was nodding along at her friend as she spoke and when she was done she looked back at the parchment and then back towards Daphne, then the parchment again. "Ok I'm out." She said quickly and pushed the parchment into Daphne's chest and then pushed her off her bed. "Good luck!" She also added, picking up the book she was reading before Daphne came in.

Confused, but glad to have it back, Daphne walked over to the bed next to her friends and sat down in the middle with her legs stretched out before her. "Usually you'd be all over this and I wouldn't get a chance to get it back in under a week. What's different?"

"It's Potter's." Tracy replied, turning a page of her book as if she wasn't even properly listening. "I want nothing what so ever to do with that bundle of trouble. We've got a few days left before summer break thank you very much."

"Huh?" Daphne said, completely confused. It wasn't like they ever interacted with him.

Tracy snapped her book shut and turned to Daphne. "Look, you better put that… Whatever it is, back where you found it. You don't want Potter to find out you took it, you've heard the rumours too. He's trouble Daphne, he's been at the heart of all these weird things happening around the school since we first started. Just trust me on this one, he might fire a few spells your way at first but you're pretty nimble."

Daphne grumbled. "I found it, fair and square." But Tracy wasn't listening, having returned to her book. Deciding quickly that there was no way she wasn't going to give it back she took a closer look at the map now she was somewhere private.

Tracy had been right. It showed everything, at least, about the people in Hogwarts. Even the ghosts it seemed. Peeves was moving quickly around near Filch's office and a large cluster of Ghosts were in a room together on the west side of the dungeons. She folded the panels that Tracy had opened and tried to look for the owned of the mysterious map. The gryffindor common room and tower rooms didn't help her and she looked for him in the library and spare classrooms but couldn't find him. It wasn't until she came across the astronomy tower until she found him. He was alone, according to the map at least. His small black footprints weren't moving so he was either standing very still or sitting down.

"You know if you stare at his name any longer you'll turn into a stalker." Tracy said from her bed, having been peeking at what Daphne was doing.

"I'm not a stalker!" She yelled, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

She turned away from her friend with a glare and looked elsewhere on the map. Dumbledore was pacing in his office which was strange, or perhaps not, she couldn't quite make up her mind on it. Most of the teachers were either in their own offices or the staff lounge, which made sense. The aforementioned Weasley twins were in a passageway she hadn't realised was there until now.

 _Wonder what they're plotting._ She thought.

A few turns of parchment and unfolding of windows and she found herself staring at the drawing of the dungeons. Quickly finding the fifth year dorms she found herself and Tracy sitting in their room. Their other two roommates were in the common room. She found it interesting a few girls were in some of the boys dorm rooms. She made a mental note of the names for later on, if she needed it. She did have to admit with Tracy however, it really was _wicked._ With this she knew where everyone in the castle was at any moment of the day. She didn't have any plans on what to use that kind of information _for_ exactly, but she would surely think of something.

She spent the next few hours silently reading through the map, watching the names move around the castle and hunted for more secret passageways after she had stumbled on a few by accident. The castle was a lot bigger than she had originally thought which shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did. One strange thought she had in her mind after a few hours with the map was that Harry Potter moved around a lot. Never in one place for an extended period of time. She had first spotted him atop the astronomy tower and then later she found him walking out of a girls bathroom, which was weird, and then again back in Dumbledore's office. It was well known that the headmaster and Potter seemed to have a good relationship, for the most part, but to visit him twice in one day seemed a little strange.

He either walked really fast, used his broom or was taking passageways even the map didn't know about. There were even a few times where she couldn't even _find_ him on the map. Which aggravated her, she wasn't sure why. One thing she realised though, was Harry Potter was one big question that she wanted to figure out.

She stared at Dumbledore's office once again, he had been in the awhile; still pacing as Harry's name was still, probably sitting down. Whatever they talked about much be lengthy, the students she knew who had meetings with Dumbledore were glad at how quick and to the point he was about problems or questions. Always having an answer before the students seem to think of it themselves.

"Who do you think these people are? On the front?" She asked outloud. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs? What stupid names…"

Tracy didn't reply, seemingly not caring. The fact that they were on the front meant that they were probably the ones to create it and they were obviously nicknames so their real identities remained hidden. Did Potter have a connection to them? She didn't have a clue where to start.

Darkness had clouded the lake, the usual green glow now just a black space behind the windows. The odd movement of a fish played tricks on her eyes as they swam by the windows. With a thought she quickly flicked back to where she found the depiction of the dungeons and low and behold Pansy and Ria, two people she disliked more than most, were walking up the stairs from the common room.

Quickly closing all the flaps and panels and finally the map itself she stuffed it under her pillow just as they walked in the door. They hadn't noticed, to busy talking to one another. They never really paid her or Tracy any mind, which they were both glad about. They weren't fond of how they sucked up to Malfoy.

"Night Tracy. Daphne said to her friend who was fixed on her book. She got a grunt as a reply, obviously to engrossed.

She pulled her robes off and placed them on the wooden chair next to her bed before pulling her nightie over her head and getting into bed. The dungeons were always chilly but thankfully a duvet with a warming charm always made it so much better.

She fell asleep shortly after, even over the whispered chatter of her not so friendly roommates.

* * *

A few days later and Daphne was at home, fully enjoying summer break. The train ride back to London had been the usual affair. Malfoy had insulted Tracy a few times and then tried sweet talking her, even with Pansy right next to him; glaring at her the entire time. She couldn't fathom how a person would think that insulting their best friend would put them on good terms with someone else. Another thing she was glad for, was that she was an only child and while it would have been nice to have a sibling it made life alot easier for her that she didn't. Daphne valued privacy very highly, something Tracy was quite eager to point out when she brought up the map she still hadn't given back.

Daphne found herself studying the map more and more, and quickly came to learn how to quickly find areas of the castle she was interested in. At first glance it looked like the map was just a randomly assorted pile of parchment with different parts of the map on it, but after a longer time with it she realised there was actually some method to the madness.

She was currently hanging over the edge of her bed, laying on her front. The map spread out on the carpet floor. With her arms hanging over the edge she slowly looked around the different parts of the castle. It was a lot easier to see when there weren't hundreds of little black footprints sprawled all over the pages.

Just as she was about to fold a segment backup she noticed movement on the pages. Quickly scanning the name, expecting a teacher. She was surprised when low and behold Harry Potter's black name stood out clearly on the dull parchment. She picked the map up and placed it on her bed, sitting up so she could read it easier.

He was walking down the seventh floor corridor towards the Grand Staircase.

"What are you doing at Hogwarts Potter…" She mumbled, flipping a piece of parchment to continue following him. He continued down a few floors and started walking along the fifth floor. It didn't look like he had a specific destination in mind, he was simply walking around. He stopped at a few classrooms, which were of course empty but after a few seconds he moved on. Daphne pulled down another piece of the map absentmindedly as she followed him.

"What the…"

She flipped back to the staircase she had just seen him descend but when she looked at the map at where it came out to he was nowhere to be seen. Sitting up straight she hurriedly flicked through the map, search for his footprints and name. Frowning at the map she continued to search, it didn't make sense, how could he just have disappeared in the space of a second?

It took her a full ten minutes to find him, even with the castle being deserted, and it was the last place she would have thought he would be. Together with Dumbledore the pair were currently in his office. Obviously not being able to see or listen in she started to think of different theories as to why he was at Hogwarts _and_ meeting with the headmaster.

 _Does he live there? Everyone know's he doesn't have a family… Maybe some of what's in the prophet is right and he is the 'chosen one' like they seem to want to call him…_

Still not knowing exactly _why_ she was essentially stalking him she continued to watch as Harry moved around in Dumbledore's office.

"Portkey!" Daphne yelled, startling her mother as she walked past her open door.

 _That's how… He used a portkey, instantaneous travel from one location to another. She knew it was possible inside Hogwarts._ She thought, giving herself a pat on the back.

After another twenty minutes however she got bored with watching the pair, still in the same spot. Her stomach having been rumbling a few times throughout her investigation of the map she decided to get up and get some food.

"Nimsy, are you around?" She called out into the house, closing her bedroom door behind her.

* * *

"No." Harry said sternly, sitting back down heavily on the plush chair in front of Dumbledore's desk.

Dumbledore looked burdened as he gazed at Harry's stern expression. Gone was the innocent boy he had first met. Harry had always been strong, defiant and extremely loyal but he had grown up, he _had_ to grow up. "Harry I don't think it's very helpful, especially in your current position to keep isolating your peers-" He began.

" _I_ didn't originally do the isolating. _They_ did, and while it kind of hurt in the beginning it's probably for the better anyway. People in-involved with me generally don't fare very well…" Harry said, interrupting the old wizard.

With a sigh Dumbledore placed his hands on his desk, leaning forwards slightly.

"While I understand and regret some of the choices and decisions with regards to you Harry, I honestly think you should interact more. You don't leave the castle, haven't done apart from your trips to Diagon Alley. Do not think that just because you have a destiny that you have to forget to live. At least, think on it?" Dumbledore asked solumely.

Harry nodded, eventually and with another deep sigh Dumbledore leaned back in his seat.

"I see you've been making use of being allowed to apparate in the castle and grounds." He said, trying to change the topic. Every since Dumbledore had explained to Harry about the prophecy, and even the Horcruxes Harry had had a few demands. Compensation, as he called it. Having knowingly lied and kept secrets from him Dumbledore had agreed to them, to try and make amends.

Harry shrugged. "It's good I guess, not as cool as I thought it would be though."

The old wizard chuckled. "My boy, you'll come to find a lot of things in the world aren't as cool as they seem. I rarely apparate around the castle these days, finding it more enjoyable to walk."

"So when is my training going to start? And I mean properly, this time. From you." Harry asked, clearing expressing what was on his mind at the moment.

Dumbledore didn't answer straight away, but he thought about the question. He had explained to Harry about the remaining piece of Voldemort's soul, the one that currently resided in Harry. He hadn't taken the news very well, and considering the timing with the death of his godfather he couldn't blame him. However it was this reaction that puzzled him the most.

"I thought you understood the consequences of that Harry?" He asked sadly, not keen to have this conversation again.

Harry leant forward in his seat, resting his arms on his knees. "I know… But if we're to destroy the remaining Horcruxes together I need to at least be able to keep up. You yourself said you weren't as quick as you once were. What if something happened that even you couldn't handle alone?"

"Harry, the things I would have to teach you to even come close to me, having many _many_ years of experience in all sorts of areas, would mean creating a chance that Voldemort could win."

"Because I have to die, right?" Harry replied bluntly, causing Dumbledore to visibly flinch.

"Harry-" Dumbledore tried to argue the point calmly but Harry was already getting annoyed.

He stood up, a frown on his face. "I know! I've told you, when we've done it; gotten rid of the Horcruxes. I'll do it, I'll let him kill me. But how am I supposed to help, to protect myself until that time?" He yelled, a few pages in some of the books on the bookshelf behind Dumbledore ripped audibly.

"I'll be there-"

"How do you know?! Where were you when I had to face a giant snake in my second year, or a hundred dementors in my third? You weren't! So cut the crap and teach me." His anger was dying down as he thought back to those horrible years. "You said we would work together, as equals this time." He continued on in a much quieter voice.

Dumbledore didn't say anything, instead looking down at his old wrinkled hands as he contemplated his choices. He couldn't muster the courage to look the boy in the eyes, he didn't exactly deserve it. Everything Harry had said was true. He had failed him, in so many ways.

When Harry didn't receive a reply he looked defeated and placed his hands in the middle pocket of his black hoody. "I'll see you later Professor." He said before turning on the spot and vanishing with a loud _crack_ and taking the corner of the chair behind him with him; leaving Dumbledore to stare down at the fallen chair, missing a leg and some of the corner on the floor.

He didn't have much of a choice it seemed.


End file.
